David Fairhurst appointed chairman of People 1st

17th August 2009, 9:27am

David Fairhurst, recently voted Human Resources magazine's most influential HR practitioner for the second year running, has been appointed as chairman of People 1st.

David is senior vice president, chief people officer at McDonald's UK & Northern Europe, with responsibility for the delivery of for HR, training, education, customer services and environmental strategy at McDonald's.

During his time at there, David has created new people programmes, offering employees nationally recognised transferable qualifications, culminating in the introduction of apprenticeships in 2009.

David will succeed Don Davenport who becomes president of People 1st in recognition of his continuing dedication to the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism sector.

Brian Wisdom, chief executive of People 1st, said: "David's succession to the position of chairman, after two years as vice-chairman, sets a new focus on our ambitious development programme to transform skills as we approach the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. He has impeccable credentials and significant experience in developing people-focused agendas and is passionate in his commitment to the development of qualifications and training. His leadership will be of enormous benefit to People 1st." 

Brian continued: "I would like to pay tribute to Don whose expertise, knowledge and contacts helped to establish People 1st with a clear strategic focus to deliver solutions for employers in its formative years. He also played a crucial role in guiding us through our relicensing process earlier this year and we will all continue to welcome his involvement in his new role."

David Fairhurst said: "The hospitality sector, with its job creation and continued investment in training, is showing the rest of the country how to emerge from the downturn. More than that, it is the key industrial platform for social mobility in Britain today, providing a genuine meritocracy for people development.

"As Chairman of People 1st, I will use my experience to accelerate and increase the qualifications available to entrants to the sector so that individuals benefit from the considerable opportunities it offers. A more skilled workforce will be essential to take advantage of the growth opportunity offered by London 2012 and to ensure hospitality and tourism continues to be a huge driver of our economy."

Bob Cotton, chief executive of the British Hospitality Association, said: "I can't think of a better qualified person to take over as chairman of People 1st. Not only has David been closely involved with the organisation for a number of years, McDonald's is an exemplar of training and developing its people."

Related Articles:

• 06 Jul 2010 - David Fairhurst awarded honorary doctorate from Middlesex University
• 05 Feb 2010 - People 1st achieves two star rating in Best Companies to Work For 2010
• 21 Jan 2010 - People 1st to provide support services to hospitality businesses at Hotelympia
• 07 Dec 2009 - People 1st offers free marketing training for hospitality sector
• 16 Nov 2009 - People 1st announce employer masterclasses in customer services
• 02 Nov 2009 - Is the hospitality industry struggling to recruit the right staff?
• 14 Oct 2009 - People 1st launches women in leadership initiative
• 14 Oct 2009 - Professional Cookery Diploma wins training accolade
• 15 Sep 2009 - People 1st appoints Harrison boss to oversee hospitality diploma
• 15 Sep 2009 - People 1st appoints Harrison boss to oversee hospitality diploma
• 29 Jul 2009 - People 1st and Scottish Tourism Forum launch consultation roadshow
• 29 Jul 2009 - National Skills Academy offers free places on Disney program
• 24 Jul 2009 - Recession busting course for small hospitality businesses
• 17 Jul 2009 - Closing date for Skills Competition approaches
• 09 Jul 2009 - People 1st launch new customer service qualifications
• 25 Jun 2009 - People 1st and Jobcentre join forces to launch new jobs website
• 02 Jun 2009 - Free diploma event for hospitality employers
• 14 May 2009 - Hospitality sector must prepare for recovery with training
• 12 May 2009 - People 1st rated 'good' in relicensing assessment
• 25 Feb 2009 - Hospitality operators urged to employ more apprentices
• 07 Oct 2008 - Hospitality is losing too many talented graduates

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